DB7

Robert Towne Developing 39 Steps Remake Source: The Hollywood Reporter Tuesday, December 23, 2003

A television remake of Alfred Hitchcock's classic spy thriller The 39 Steps is in the works with Academy Award-winning scribe Robert Towne (Chinatown) set to write and direct the project.

Hitchcock's 1935 opus, based on the novel by John Buchan, starred Robert Donat, Madeleine Carroll and Lucie Mannheim. Donat's character inadvertently finds himself in several precarious situations after viewing a "memory" act on a London stage.

The project is being developed by Carlton America and will actually the fourth version to grace its library.

Rob Compton

Wot again? eek!

I would think rather more positively of the modern film industry if the trend was more towards original new ideas, not endless inferior remakes of films from days gone by....

rgds
Rob

Hackett

John Buchan wrote other books about Richard Hannay, Why not film one of those?

MissGossage

Is it a remake of the Hitchcock film or an adaptation of the novel? Because if I remember rightly the two don't have that much in common...

DB7

As it's for Carlton I'd suspect a period remake.

Screenwriter Towne to Remake '39 Steps'

Los Angeles (AP) -- Screenwriter Robert Towne has struck a deal to develop a remake of the Alfred Hitchcock classic "The 39 Steps." Towne, who wrote "Chinatown" and "Mission: Impossible 3," will write and direct the thriller for Carlton International Media, Daily Variety reported on its Web site Thursday.

"There is only a handful of individuals in our business with the talent, experience and insight to whom we would entrust a project of this magnitude, and Robert Towne is one of them," said Stephen Davis, Carlton America's president and chief executive officer.

Hitchcock's version of the spy film was made in 1935 and starred Robert Donat, Lucie Mannheim and Madeleine Carroll.

Carlton owns one of the world's largest catalogs of classic movies. The company's vault also includes the 1959 version starring Kenneth More and the 1978 version by Don Sharp.

Gibbie

Here, here!

deckard

Oh please not again! We all know that Hitch's 1935 classic did'nt follow Buchan's book to the letter(understatement) but I don't think it will ever be bettered.Even Buchan seemed to think it was an improvement on his book. I don't doubt a lot of erm..overseas money will be forthcoming in a new version,but what will we get-an attept at a scottish Dick van-dyke(et-al!)

"and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock"

locust

If I remember rightly John Huston's The Maltese Falcon was the third version of Hammett's novel (in less than ten years). And let's not forget Howard Hawks' His Girl Friday, George Cukor's Gaslight, Joseph Losey's M or for that matter Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much.
So there's nothing new.

From Russia with Love.

Angry Hector

As a critic once said..."Why remake the good stuff? There have been countless intersting ideas that have been turned into flawed and forgotten films. How about remaking them and getting them right, rather than trying to improve upon what was done perfectly in the first place?"

locust

Because it's easier. :)
But of course I agree with the critic.

From Russia with Love.